Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce

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This brown sugar caramel sauce is a quick homemade topping made with butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. It is smooth and rich, and ready in about 20 minutes—perfect for drizzling over ice cream, apple slices, or your favorite desserts.

Homemade caramel sauce tastes fresher than store-bought, and this recipe comes together with a handful of simple ingredients. In about 20 minutes, you’ll have a smooth topping ready for desserts and warm drinks.

Keep a jar in the refrigerator for an easy homemade topping whenever you need one. It’s delicious over ice cream and apple slices, or stirred into coffee and hot cocoa.

Once you try homemade caramel, you may find yourself reaching for this version instead of a store-bought jar.

What’s in Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce?

This easy brown sugar caramel sauce uses a short list of everyday ingredients:

-Butter

-Brown Sugar

-Heavy Cream

-Salt

-Vanilla Extract

– Cinnamon (optional)

What can I pair Caramel Sauce with?

There are many ways you can use this caramel sauce. Try drizzling it over scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Likewise, use it in our Creamy Caramel Apple Cider recipe or stir in a spoonful in a mug of hot cocoa or your favorite coffee drink to enhance the flavor.

You can also use our Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce in our Caramel Apple Dump Cake, drizzled over our Apple-Pear Galette, and Holiday Cranberry French Toast Bake.

How to make Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce

This brown sugar caramel sauce takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. Measure the ingredients before you begin, since the sauce needs frequent stirring as it cooks.

Note: Have all ingredients out and ready so it makes it easier to cook the caramel sauce. You want to be attentive to the sauce and make sure it doesn’t burn.

First, you’ll start by melting the butter and brown sugar together in a heavy bottom saucepan on low/medium heat.

Using a silicone or rubber spatula, mix for a couple of minutes until butter and sugar have combined.

Next, slowly add in the heavy cream and stir until the mixture is smooth looking.

Add in the salt and cinnamon, if using, and mix in.

Allow mixture to come to a rolling boil and continue stirring frequently and scraping down the sides of pot. About every minute.

Continue to stir frequently for about 10 minutes. Take off of heat. Add in the vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Storing and Reheating

Pour the hot sauce into a heat-safe glass jar and let it cool before sealing. I store mine in small mason jars with a metal lid.

I keep mine in the fridge until ready to use.

For a softer, pourable consistency, place the amount you need in a microwave-safe dish and warm it for 10 to 12 seconds. Stir, then drizzle the sauce over ice cream, serve it with apple slices, or stir it into a warm drink.

Did You Try This Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce?

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